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“Step Away from the Mean Girls…
…and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks.
Are
you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us
feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take
this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.
This is a call
to arms. A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with
yourself. The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the
story line that says you’re too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old,
your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror
and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then
is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward
transforming your experience of the world.”

We are bombarded with what our bodies should look like. How many blogs, stories, quotes have you heard about body image? I have to admit I am still working on my feelings with my body and feel it is a lifelong adventure to see my body as beautiful and purposeful as I get older. How many times do we look in the mirror and pick out at least one thing that we know we don’t like?

Let’s just imagine for a minute what it would be like to like everything about our bodies. How does that feel? What does your mind do when you think about it? Mine goes right into “how could I like something that is obviously wrong! How could I say this is beautiful when it is from years of abuse.” If I say my body is ok then is that condoning the negative things I do to it? NO! Does our mind think that, of course, because our mind is wanting to protect us from harm. This is where we step in and take control of all the past beliefs, traumas, and habits. We are our past but how you embrace that past is what will help you have peace in the present and create a joyful future. So by taking control of negative beliefs we have to trust that we are

Greater butterfly orchid flowers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

better than our negative behaviors and beliefs.

For instance while I stand in front of the mirror looking at my face I see the years of damage I have done from being in the sun with no protection. I played tennis, hours and hours of tennis a day while I was in school and then after my mission. I also loved the beach and could lay for hours absorbing the rays. My belief is first that I shouldn’t have these spots! How could I have done this to myself! I need to get some work done and be presentable. I am not professional when I have my face wrinkled and spotted! As I sit and ponder my past decisions I realize that these marks are marks of love, passion, excitement, endurance, strength, determination, dedication, peace, and joy. If I then train my brain to see those marks every time I step in front of the mirror as badges of triumph then how would I show up in the world? Would I start seeing myself as empowered and beautiful? And thus seeing all others with similar marks as the same? Maybe I would be more inspired to see the mysteries of God because of my new-found love for my past.

For all you moms out there, how many of us have judged our stomachs and the stretch marks and fat that has come because of bringing sweet children into the world? Why would we do such a thing?? How could we do that to ourselves?! We should put our heads up and walk proud because of what we have done and if till the day we die we carry those marks of honor than so be it because we have done one of the greatest things a human being can do.

The challenge for the rest of this week is to stand in front of that dang mirror and see why you have that grey in your hair from loving your family enough to worry about how to provide for them, or that big nose you got from your favorite grandpa, or that hair on your chin from being able to see over 40 years of this amazing life.

Love to hear what happens in a few days. What real feelings and thoughts show up for you?